Improvement in dyeing leather in parti-colors



D. W. MAG'UIBE.

Dyeing Leather in Part-i No.147,954.

Colors.

Patented Feb. 24,1874.

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UNITED STATES i PATENT Orrron CHARLES W. MAGUIRE, OF NEW LOTS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN DYE l NG LEATHERIN PARTl-COLORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,954, dated February 24, 1874; application filed October 15; 1873. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. IAGUIRE, of the town of New Lots, and county of Kings, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Dyeing Leather in Parti-Oolors.

My invention relates to the ornamentation of leather goods by partially dyeing the leather, or dyeing it in diiferent colors.

It is well known that any coloring matter which could be worked on type or type-like embossing-tools would be of too great. consistency to allow it to penetrate the cuticle surface of the leather and effect a fast and durable color; and that dyes, such as are employed by leather and morocco colorers, cannot be practically used after the manner of ink on type, or embossing tools or dies, on account of their fluidity.

My invention consists in surrounding the portion of the leather to be colored, or to remain uncolored, with a sharp or clean-edged continuousguard of the proper form, which, on being compressed upon the leather, will form a receptacle for receiving and retaining, or a means for excluding the liquid dye-stuff: and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear and accurate description of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 represents the ornamented leather back of a horsebrush. Fig. 2 represents the same in the process of dyeing, with a clamp, such as will be suited to the purpose.

The ornamented leather in Fig. 1 is not only partially dyed, but embossed at the undyed portions and plain throughout the dyed portion. At A, for instance, it may be, however, dyed green, at B blue, and at 0 red. The dyeing may be completed prior to the embossing operation, or it may be done after, as may be desired. In either case, the guards D, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are essential. They will, preferably, be composed of iron, and may be cast or constructed of rolled metal. Their lower edges should be even and true, so that when placed upon the leather a good general bearing thereon will be had. The lower edge may be plain or figured, thick or thin, as may be desired. These guards may be, made in any desired form to correspond with the general outline of the. figures to be embossed. The clampingframe E may be made of a platform, a yoke, and a screw, as shown, or any other of the Well-known forms of clamp may be em ployed. The leather is placed on the platform with the side to be dyed upward, and the sev eral guards are properly located, the cross-tie a placed across the upper edges of the guards, and the screw turned down until the lower edges are sufficiently in contact with the leather to prevent the passage of dye beneath, and form thereby a series of reservoirs of proper dimensions and form for receiving the dye which is to color that portion of the leather. In many cases the surface of the leather is polished or otherwise finished, and, therefore, considerable time will be requisite for the dye to properly penetrate it 5 so, also, if the emboss' ing be first done. After the die has remained within the guards for a proper length of time, which will, of eourse,'vary according to the character of the work and color of'the dye, the clamp is lifted and the unused dye poured therefrom int-o receptacles for the respective colors.

With a view to economy in using dye-stuff,

a piece of soft felt, of proper size, and saturated in the dye-stuff, may be used within the guard with a plunger or block fitted to evenly compress the same upon the leather, so that when the pressure is removed the felt will reabsorb the surplus dye.

When it is desirable to emboss and dye at the same time, the embossing-die will be provided with a projecting flange, which will per form the function of the guards described, when compressed on the leather, and such em bossing-dye, when employed with the inter posed saturated felt, will squeeze the coloring matter from the felt, and retain it all within the guard and force it into the leather without danger of spreading at the sides upon that portion of the leatherto remain undyed. The lines and finish of embossing done with the felt are, of course, not so clear and fine as when the embossing-tool is in direct contact with the leather, and, therefore, after the em bossinghas been completed, shallowplain dies,

with the outline guards and the saturated felt,

may be employed for dyeing with good results. In all cases, however, neat outlines cannot be secured without the employment of the dye receiving and retaining guards, whether employed separately and used with a special clamp, or in conjunction with embossing-dies, as described.

I am aware that,in dyeing textile fabrics by immersion, reserves have been attained by the employment of pattern-blocks, between which the reserve portions of the fabrics were compressed in a clamp, which, with the fabrics, were immersed in the dye-vats. My improved process differs from all such methods, in dealing only with the surface of the leather, and admits of the simultaneous dyeing of sev eral portions of the same continuous surface, in as many different colors, a result which 1 preventing the colors from intermingling by means of the inclosing-guards in contact with the surface of the leather under pressure, and

arranged to retain therein, or exclude therefrom, all excess of coloring matter, substantially as described.

CHAS. W. MAGUIRE. Witnesses:

FRANK G. LANG, MARCUS SAcKEr. 

